in just four days across-the-board spending cuts take effect. >>> if president obama and congress fails to reach an agreement the price of milk could lead sharply. perhaps $6 per gallon. at issue is the farm bill and how much the federal government pays farmers. john blackstone reports. >> who wants milk? >> me. >> me. >> me. >> reporter: with four children the rasmussen family in california drinks about five gallons a week on milk. if congress doesn't pass the bill, i would cost him $106. that has dad sean rasmussen worried. >> they have to have their milk. we might have to cut elsewhere. >> reporter: without new legislation government prices revert back to 1939 levels. back then the process was more laborious and farmers needed a higher subsidy to cover their costs. dan sumner says the new price of milk would be far above what it now costs dairy farmers to produce it. >> it really will be chaos. >> reporter: so we would go back to this old farm bill which would force the government to buy milk at an extremely high price. >> that's right. >> reporter: this could be a windfall for dairy